Heat accumulator system

ABSTRACT

A heat accumulator system including a plurality of waste incinerators that discharge hot exhaust gases through a single mobile heat accumulator. The heat accumulator absorbs the heat contained in the gases exhausting from several incinerators and retains it until said accumulator may be moved to a suitable location having need for a quantity of heat in excess of that provided by a single incinerator.

United States Patent [1 1 [111 3,912,163 Theoclitus [4 1 0a. 14, 1975 [54} HEAT ACCUMULATOR SYSTEM 3,503,347 3/1970 Marr, Jr. et al l10/8 R 3,596,713 8/1971 KatZ 126/400 X [75] Inventor: Gregmy Thmhms, wensvme 3,605,720 9/1971 Mayo 126/400 x [73] Assignee: The Air Preheater Company, Inc.,

Wellsville, NY. Primary ExaminerWi1]iam E. Wayner Assistant ExaminerW. E. Tapolcai, Jr. [22] Ffled' May 1974 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wayne H. Lang [21] Appl. No.: 466,358

ABSTRACT (51.2 237/};2 A heat accumulator System including a plurality of [58] 126/400 waste incinerators that discharge hot exhaust gases 116/8 i 8 C through a single mobile heat accumulator. The heat accumulator absorbs the heat contained in the gases [56] References Cited exhausting from several incinerators and retains it until said accumulator may be moved to a suitable 10- UNITED STATES PATENTS cation having need for a quantity of heat in excess of 3,295,591 1/1967 Thomason 126/400 X that provided a ingle incineraton 3,307,507 3/1967 Boyd et a1.... 110/8 R 3,327,659 6/1967 7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Nolan et a]. 110/8 R HEAT ACCUMULATOR SYSTEM BACKGROUND of; THE iNvENTioN 1. Fieldof the Invention This invention relates to high temperature incinerators such as used'to reduce organic waste to their constituent elements by the processes of pyrolysis and combustion. Frequently heat produced by .such incinerators is neither .sufficient nor continuous enough to provide an amount of heat that is economically utilized.

to their'constituent elements by a process of pyrolysis and incineration. While such processes may effectively dispose of the waste material, the heat produced thereby is irregular in intensity, intermittent and frequently insufficient to be utilized in any convenient manner, and as such is disposed of by discharging it into the atmosphere.

Although the present emphasis on the conversion and utilization of available energy has created an awareness of available energy that is being lost or wasted, little of a practical nature has been done or can be expected to be done to utilize such energy. As a result, small intermittent type incinerators that are entirely committed to the incineration of waste are losing favor to large boiler furnaces that are adapted to burn waste material as a supplement to another fuel that is being supplied continuously thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is accordingly directed to a system including a heat accumulator that collects heat from a plurality of intermittently fired incinerators and then transports it to a specific point where the heat absorbed thereby may be completely utilized. The capacity of the heat accumulator is preferably an amount of heat greater than that provided by the combined incinerators and it is available at a temperature in excess of that required at the point of use. However, special control devices may be provided to temper the fluid given off therefrom to provide fluid heated to a predetermined temperature suitable for the apparatus to which it is being directed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWTNG A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration showing a plurality of small capacity incinerators with a mobile heat accumulator that collects heat therefrom and transports the heat to a single place of use,

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a typical waste incinerator, and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a representative heat accumulator and truck assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention is directed to an arrangement including a plurality of independently operated incinerators shown diagrammatically at A, 10B and 10C.

The incinerators each are of conventional form having an'outer housing 14 with an inlet 16 for waste material and an exhaust port 18 through which the hot gases of combustion may be exhausted. The incinerators are each provided with a duct 22 for supplying an adequate quantity of combustion air together with a suitable source'of additional fuel as may be required for combustion. Y I

i The exhaust port 18' of each incinerator is connected to an exhaust duct 22 having a conventional afterburner with an exhaust that is directed to the atmosphere through duct 24 as controlled by valve 26, or it may be directed'through manually controlled valve 28 to a flexible duct 32 including a flange 34 or other means of attachment to a receiving 'duct. An air supply means provides air as required for the incinerator and its afterburner.

The flange 34 of duct 32 is adapted to be connected to the heat accumulator 36 that comprises a housing 40 having an inlet 42 and an outlet 44 for directing a cool fluid such as ambient air therethrough. The housing contains a porous mass of heat absorbent material 46 such as stacked sheets of corrugated material, screens, or spheres whereby hot gases moving in contact therewith will transfer heat to the heat absorbent material before being exhausted to the atmosphere through outlet 44.

Each heat accumulator is provided with an inlet cutoff valve 46 and an outlet cut-off valve 48 whereby gas flow through the accumulator may be terminated or bottled-up" to conserve the heat content thereof as it is being moved between the several incinerators and the point of use. In addition, the entire accumulator 36 is surrounded by a suitable heavy coat of insulative material 52 or it is otherwise constructed of a thermally reflective material that resists heat loss through the housing thereof. The entire accumulator 36 is mounted on a vehicle chasis 55 that is free to move between sources of supply and the place of projected use.

In operation the accumulator 36 is first properly connected to receive the hot gases exhausting from one incinerator 10A. When the operation of incinerator 10A ceases, the heat accumulator 36 is moved to incinerator 10B and attached thereto so it receives the full flow of its hot exhaust gases. After receiving available exhaust gases so that it may extract the heat therefrom, the accumulator is moved to another incinerator or to a point of projected use as designated at 54.

The outlet 44 is attached to a flexible duct 56 including a fan 58 that draws cool air through the accumula- Y tor 36 and in contact with the hot heat absorbent material 46. Regulation of the control valves 46 and 48 will control the amount of air being directed over the accumulator 32 to the projected point of use whereby air flowing at a predetermined temperature may be supplied thereto.

While this invention has been described with reference to the arrangement illustrated in the drawing, it is evident that various changes including the various components or the arrangement of components may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and limited only by the terms of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An incinerator system including a plurality of independent incinerators that comprise a source of heat, means to be heated, a vehicle movable between the incinerators and the means to be heated, a heat accumulator carried by said vehicle comprising a housing having a mass of heat absorbent material intermediate spaced inlet and outlet ports, means for directing hot gas exhausting from said source of heat through the inlet and outlet ports of the accumulator and over the heat absorbent material therebetween, means for moving the vehicle between the source of heat and the means to be heated, means directing a cool fluid over the heat absorbent material of the accumulator to absorb heat therefrom, and means directing fluid heated by the accumulator to the means to be heated.

2. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 wherein the quantity of heat capacity of one incinerator varies from that of a spaced incinerator.

3. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 including means controlling the flow of the fluid heated by contacting the heat absorbent material of the accumulator in the advance of the means to be heated.

4. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 including means controlling ambient air being supplied to the means to be heated.

5. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 wherein the inlet and outlet to the heat accumulator are positioned at opposite ends thereof with the heat absorbent material positioned therebetween.

6. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 wherein the heat capacity of the heat accumulator exceeds the quantity of heat generated by the combined incinerators exhausting thereto.

7. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 wherein the quantity of heat being discharged from the heat accumulator to the means to be heated exceeds the quantity of heat directed thereto by a single incinerator. 

1. An incinerator system including a plurality of independent incinerators that comprise a source of heat, means to be heated, a vehicle movable between the incinerators and the means to be heated, a heat accumulator carried by said vehicle comprising a housing having a mass of heat absorbent material intermediate spaced inlet and outlet ports, means for directing hot gas exhausting from said source of heat through the inlet and outlet ports of the accumulator and over the heat absorbent material therebetween, means for moving the vehicle between the source of heat and the means to be heated, means directing a cool fluid over the heaT absorbent material of the accumulator to absorb heat therefrom, and means directing fluid heated by the accumulator to the means to be heated.
 2. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 wherein the quantity of heat capacity of one incinerator varies from that of a spaced incinerator.
 3. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 including means controlling the flow of the fluid heated by contacting the heat absorbent material of the accumulator in the advance of the means to be heated.
 4. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 including means controlling ambient air being supplied to the means to be heated.
 5. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 wherein the inlet and outlet to the heat accumulator are positioned at opposite ends thereof with the heat absorbent material positioned therebetween.
 6. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 wherein the heat capacity of the heat accumulator exceeds the quantity of heat generated by the combined incinerators exhausting thereto.
 7. An incinerator system as defined in claim 1 wherein the quantity of heat being discharged from the heat accumulator to the means to be heated exceeds the quantity of heat directed thereto by a single incinerator. 